Ring of Sagacity

Disclaimer: I don't own this story. Well, technically I own this one, but not the original… let's not get into that technical stuff, ok? Let's just drop it here.

Setting: America, Ireland

Chapter 5: Blackest of Minds

When she awoke, she was indeed on a plane. Huyen yawned, attempting to stretch, but finding her hands bound by a pair of cuffs. The interior of the plane was fancy. It held the looks of someone who had some money, or rather, had a lot and wasn't afraid to flaunt it about. But she had already concluded that from the young man's clothing at her home. His fine suit and orderly look screamed money.

Speaking of the devil, that very youth was sitting across a small table from her. The seat he sat in was made from leather, while the miniature sofa she reclined on was a plush material. Huyen pulled herself upright, her head spinning vaguely as she did so.

"I see you have awoke." he stated simply.

"I see that you like to state the obvious." she retorted back. Normally she wouldn't be so direct and rude to someone she disliked, but this man was asking for it. He made a noise that resembled a laugh briefly, a smirk- like- smile flashing across his face momentarily.

"Now, now, no need to get snappy. Fancy a game of chess?" he pondered, indicating with his hand the table between them. It was a clear, glass topped, circular table. The rim was a gray metal, rough to the hand, but very smooth to the eye.

"No thank you. I believe the sedative you used on me is still within my system. Wouldn't want to play you with an unfair advantage…wait a moment, I know your face. You're that Russian kid, the prodigy. Stefan Bashkir, that's the name!" He nodded, that smirk- smile playing across his slightly vampiric face.

"Yes, that is my alias. I am not actually Stefan, though he is me, if you catch the meaning." That smirk again! "Now, do you want to play me, or no?"

"Pah! Why would I want to play you? It's not I'm actually any good at the game! I just play it in my spare time! Gods, no! You must think I'm stupid if you sincerely thought I would accept that offer."

The smirk returned yet again. She was begging to wish it would banish forever. "No, I simply was wondering if you would play a friendly game. I see now that my fame frightens you." He was playing with her, trying to make her ego react.

"Nice try, but I'm afraid I'll remain with a firm no." she responded slowly. He shrugged his shoulders, or something like it.

As Huyen thought back to the meeting with her sisters, a question sprang to mind. As to whether this boy, Artemis she recalled, knew or not, she was about to find out. "So, what's my weapon?" his eyebrows shot up into his hairline, and she stumbled on before she lost the nerve to do so. "In my unconscious state I met this girl named Deidra. She says we're part of a group, the sisters or something, and we each wield a weapon. I'm the White Bringer, so what is it I bring?"

He studied her for a moment and then explained "The White Bringer deals out sanity and insanity. I though you girls would have figured this out from the magic you've seemingly had for sometime now. When I found Deidra, she held command over a force field, one of her minor powers, but a power nonetheless. The final sister, the Betraying Angel, has power in emotions. Not that strong, you might think, but you would be incorrect. An emotionless man can do no harm, he is too caught up in the lack of emotions to care."

"Good point. So, I understand the whole power part. Thank you for rubbing it in, how ignorant we are I mean. Couldn't have figured it out myself or anything, seeing as I'm not a genius. You still haven't answered my question: What is my weapon?"

"You're wearing it." he stated simply. She cautiously looked over her clothing. Huyen was an average kid, and dressed like one. Black tank top, blue jeans, clean white sneakers to match. She sported a sleek black belt, but surely that wasn't her weapon? When he saw her confusion, Artemis added on to his statement. "On your hand. The Ring of Sagacity, your weapon."

Artemis was pointing to the ring Huyen's maternal mother had given her. It was silver, sporting a blood red stone set in the center. There was small signs on the outside which she had yet to decipher, but made it all the more special. This was her weapon?

"You're joking, right? How am I suppose to hurt someone with this? Are you asking that I punch them in the face and try to split something open with it?" she kidded. He gave her a serious look, which wiped the small grin from her face.

"Another misconception you and your sister share. The item does not grant you the powers, they are there when you are born. It simply amplifies them, allowing you to make better use of them. The item protects you, as it has through the past centuries, and as it will in the coming." her skeptical look remained. "Go ahead, try it on me."

"What? You actually want me to try my powers on you?" Huyen had doubted his sanity before, but now it seemed clear he was completely insane.

"The collar around your neck will prevent you from actually doing anything." At those words, Huyen felt for the restricting item he spoke of. It was a cool, metal collar, and it stung to touch. How she had not noticed it before she couldn't say. "You may, however, peer inside my mind. Feel free to view the mind of a genius." he said calmly.

"Fine then, I will. But be warned, Artemis, I'm ready to try the limits of this device of yours." She gave him not the chance to respond, and plunged herself in her powers. A white light shone before her eyes, and she felt her soul being pulled into his mind.

An ever bright light shone into Vesta's eyes. Although they were closed, the lids seemed to be burning away as the source of the light intensified. She cracked open only one eyelid, studying the surrounding landscape. It appeared to be a small grassland. There were several trees, and the ground was covered with lush grass.

"Awake I see." The ever so familiar voice called to her. Vesta snapped her head around. Ea sat nearby, dressed in human clothes.

"Seer, I did not expect it to be your hands I awoke. Please tell me, did she escape?" Vesta knew she need not elaborate on the question. Ea would know of what she spoke.

"I am sorry Vesta. They have taken her. You must find the humans and stop them. I can transport you to the place in which they travel to, but that is the limit of my powers for the moment." The sprit nodded, and Ea opened her powers to the girl. A small swirl of light traveled across Vesta's body, discovering every inch before pulling her along with it to a new land.

Huyen let loose a scream. What madness was this? The mind of this boy was riddled in the darkness. Not a glimmer of light anywhere! She was being pulled down, the black sand of his mind consuming her. I must get out! This place, it isn't safe! Insanity has destroyed him!

The White Bringer pulled her mind from Artemis's, gasping. She fell from the sofa and began a rapid retreat from the boy on hands and knees. His eyes glimmered dangerously. Huyen bumped into something, and it turned out to be the large man, Butler. She dove behind his legs, which seemed to take him by surprise.

"Tell me, White Bringer, what did you find?" he asked casually. She shook her head, vanishing behind the bodyguards thick legs. "Please, tell me what it was you found. I am not afraid to know what you think my mind holds."

"T-The dark. Your mind, there was no light. Nothing but the dark. You are insane, Artemis. Completely and utterly insane." She was trembling, wishing for more protection than this bodyguard. Never had the girl seen such evil concentrated in one place.

Artemis frowned and nodded to Butler. The manservant hesitated, but did as the small movement from his employer demanded. He withdrew a small vial of sedative and injected it into the girl cowering at his legs. She didn't fight him, she almost seemed relieved to have the drug, in fact.

Once she was unconscious, Butler lay her back to rest on the sofa and then took to the controls. He removed them from automatic and took his seat as captain. If there was one thing flying was good for, it was reminiscing through the mind.

Now that someone else had said it, Butler really did have to consider the chances. Was Artemis really losing it? What would he do if he did? Would he leave the boy, or commit him to a psychiatric ward? Would he remain loyal, or try to prevent what was inevitably going to happen?

My job is to do as he says, not worry about his mental health. His physical health, yes, but mental is all for him. Just do the job your given, that's it. Butler uneasily settled back into the seat, scanning all of his gauges to insure everything was alright.

"Simply fascinating. I wonder if she read that wrong though. You don't think I'm insane do you?" It was Artemis, returning from a little excursion to the lavatory.

"Sir? How would I know? I am not the psychologist." he retorted. Generally speaking, neither was Artemis, though he was knowledgeable in the area to have a degree.

"Yes, yes, good point. Well, I guess we land now. There's the airport up ahead. Once we arrive, make sure to tell the workers there we'll be storing the plane here. Unload the girl first though, and do try to make sure no one sees her."

"Yes, sir." he responded as he steered the plane into a shallow descent.

"Deidra? Are you here?" Huyen called into the void. No answer. "Deidra?"

"Huyen! Watch out, he's here!" Deidra came running from no where and knocked her down, rolling them away from the area. They came to a halt moments latter behind a large boulder that Huyen could have sworn wasn't there a moment ago.

"Come now, girl, I only want to play! And besides, if you die here it's not like you die in the real world. In fact, if you die here, you might wake up." This dark voice called from the room. It was like the voice was the room itself, as if it alone had created this place.

"It's the Mercenary. Told you about him, remember?" Deidra gasped out, peering over a rock. "He really doesn't like us much, I have to tell you." She ducked back down as a sword sliced through the rock. Both girls ran from the cover of yet another land form, this time it was a sheet of ice. Huyen noted that she could feel no frost from it.

"Deidra, did you listen to what he said? He can't kill us here. He might even send us back to the real world. I for one want to stay here, but maybe if you wake up you can find out what's happening on your end of this."

"What-?" she voiced, but was cut violently short. The Mercenary had thrown his sword directly through the ice. It had sliced right through- and directly into Deidra's abdomen. Her face went blank, and her body vanished in a small puff of smoke.

Now or never, Huyen thought to herself. "Look, I don't mind talking to you, but please, don't send me back there right now. The boy, Artemis, he's insane. I've never been around someone with such a deep-"

"I know how deep the insanity is." the man interrupted. Huyen spun around to find him a few feet away. He was a dark figure, dressed much like Deidra, only with a face mask on. "I have lived through this insanity for thousands of years, believe me, I know it well. And I have killed you, White Bringer, hundred of times. Yet you always come back."

"Cycle of life, I guess. It's not like I can remember it or anything. I'm sorry for what I am, understand that much. I had no intention of being… whatever it is that I am. What exactly am I, by the way? Can you tell me that much?"

He peered at her, his eyes cold. "You, White Bringer, are the end of this world. You and your sisters can destroy it all. You are the Sisters of Doom."

Author's Note

Right, this is going nowhere so fast. I'm trying to hurry it, you know? Anyway, reviews are so very welcome to anyone who cares to add 'em!

Just got the new Artemis book, spiffy, might I add. I'm loving the book. Not bad on my part for how Colfer let Artemis regain his memories, if I do say so myself. But I won't ruin anything for you all. You have to read that book!

I'm sorry it took so long to get this up. This is my first beta chapter. Thank you Heather! Please don't lock me in a closet with no food or water and poke me until I write the next chapter! (She fantasizes about doing that to J.K Rowling.) I'll write, I promise! And to all those who have read her reviews, I am ever so slighlty sadistic. But I'm still an okay person. I think...

Anyway, see you guys around.

Finelley

P.S You know you want to review it! Please?